Keystone, S.D. (KELO) –Keystone is known for being the heart of tourism in the Black Hills.

You won’t find as much traffic in Keystone this time of year, but shops and restaurants are still open for business.

“So we open up in May and then we get a little busier towards the end of May. June and July are our super busy seasons and then come August and September we start to slow down,” Old Time West Photographer Andy Long said.

This time of year, Keystone also sees a different kind of tourist.

“We’ve had a lot more international travelers as well, so obviously they’re all getting back out, and are big fans of this stuff which is good,” Historical Museum Director Casey Sullivan said.

All of these businesses are still thriving through these late summer months, as they kind of continue keeping shops up and running through early October. When the tourist season ends and snow starts to fall, they’ll close up shop and prepare for next year. 

“Kind of coming into the off season, we really focus on trying to update current exhibits or work on new exhibits. I’m usually behind the scenes just cataloging and accessioning new items that are coming in,” Sullivan said.

Until the off season arrives, these businesses will keep doing what they do to keep customers coming back year after year.

“So we bring people in, we give them tours, we show them all of our different sets. We’ve got seven sets with jails, bars, parlors, anything you can find in the old west, We’ve got it. We’re able to get as many as 30 groups in a whole day, so that’s groups of two, five, six, ten even,” Long said.

You can learn more about Buffalo Old Time Photo and Keystone Historical Museum here.